TAKASAKI MOTONAO

• TAKASAKI MOTONAO, Japanese artist. He won the Newcomer's Prize at the 4th Modern Art Association Exhibition in 1954. Sympathising with the works of YOSHIHARA JIRO, SHIRAGA KAZUO and MOTONAGA SADAMASA, he became a member of the Gutai Art Association in 1966 and participated until its dissolution in 1972. Major collections: The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.

• relevant artists

  • MOCHIDA SOSHO

    MOCHIDA SOSHO, born in Tokyo, Japan. Contemporary artist, printmaker, and professor emeritus at Osaka University of Arts. His artistic activities are centered in Osaka, where he incorporates a variety of styles, including three-dimensional modeling and art photography. He also produces prints, including recent "branding" works on felt, and taught at Osaka University of Arts (formerly Naniwa University of Arts) from 1960 to early 2000, where he helped establish a printmaking course. Since 1975，he has been exhibiting his works in the "Ge Exhibition," a leading contemporary art group in the Kansai area. He and the other main member MOTONAGA SADAMASA are still active in Japan area and has made a significant contribution to the development of print art in Japan in the Contemporary period. Major collections include: The National Museum of Art, Osaka; Nakanoshima Museum of Contemporary Art, Osaka; Osaka Contemporary Art Center; Museum of Modern Art, Hyogo; Osaka University of Arts Museum; Minneapolis Institute of Arts; Hongik University Museum of Modern Art; and Shanghai Long Museum.

  • UEMAE CHIYU

    Chiyuu Uemae was born in 1920 in Kyoto. After studying Western-style painting on his own, he studied under Jiro Yoshihara, and in 1954, he participated in the formation of the "Gutai Art Association" with 15 young artists from the Kansai region who had joined him under Yoshihara. After the formation of the Gutai Art Association, he continued to produce works that consistently pursued non-figurative (abstract) art. 1990 "Avant-garde Japan: The Gutai Group in the 1950s" (National Museum of Modern Art, Rome); 2012 "Painting the Void, 1949-1962" (Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles); 2013 solo exhibition "The Armory Show" (Pier 92/94, New York) (omitted) Major Collections: Nerima Art Museum; Tokushima Prefectural Museum of Modern Art; Fukui Prefectural Art Museum; Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka.

  • KAWABATA MINORU

    KAWABATA MINORU, born in Tokyo in 1911. In 1953, he co-founded the Japan Abstract Art Club with YOSHIHARA JIRO and YAMAGUCHI TAKEO. In 1956, he participated in Exposition Internationale de l'Art Actuel, driven by MICHEL TAPIÉ, alongside artists like DUBUFFET and DE KOONING, representing Japan.In 1958, he moved to New York, and in the following year, he participated in the 2nd Guggenheim International Exhibition, showcasing his artwork "Rhythm - Tea" and receiving the individual Honorable Mention award. Subsequently, he signed with the Betty Parsons Gallery, renowned for promoting prominent post-war abstract expressionist artists like JACKSON POLLOCK and MARK ROTHKO. This marked KAWABATA's entry into the mainstream of New York artists. At the same time, he co-organized exhibitions with Japanese artists who had also moved to the United States, such as KUSAMA YAYOI and OKADA KENZO. In 1962, he exhibited six works at the 31st Venice Biennale. In 1974, he held a solo exhibition at the Everson Museum of Art in New York, followed by a large-scale exhibition at the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Modern Art the following year. He continued to create his work in both Japan and the United States, establishing himself as one of the representative Japanese artists of the post-World War II era. His artistic style began with abstract expressionism in the 1950s. Shortly after moving to the United States, he awakened to calligraphic techniques, resulting in unique brushwork and the incorporation of multiple colors into his works. This showcased his exploration of a new spiritual realm through art. Throughout his career, he consistently worked to crystallize his own psychological experiences into visual elements on canvas. His rich use of color, emerging forms, and striking contrasts left a highly emotional impression, expressing his unique inner world through abstract colors.

  • SHINODA MORIO

    SHINODA MORIO, a sculptor born in Meguro, Tokyo, is known for his artistic philosophy of TC (Tension and Compression). He employs tense steel wires as structures in his works, allowing parts of the artwork to float and suspend in the air. His creative technique involves creating tension using geometric structures and metallic materials. He remains active in the forefront of contemporary art. The TC philosophy originated from the architectural theories of Buckminster Fuller in 1958, and Shinozaki's unique and original expression has garnered international acclaim. His exhibited works at the Venice Biennale in 1966 received high praise on the international stage.

  • 加藤文彥

  • MOTONAGA SADAMASA

    MOTONAGA SADAMASA, Japanese picture book artist and avant-garde artist. His wife is Etsuko Nakatsuji, a plastic artist. Taking the unknown nature as his creative source, he created experimental works expressing natural phenomena by using novel materials, such as hanging colored water in plastic bags and performances using smoke. Later, inspired by the tarashikomi technique of Japanese-style painting, she attracted attention with her fluid works in which paints were poured on canvas. In 1959, he exhibited his work at the Premio Lissone Exhibition (Italy), where he won a prize, and in 1961 had solo exhibitions at Tokyo Gallery and Jackson Mercer Gallery (New York). In 1965, he participated in the "New Japanese Paintings and Sculpture" exhibition at MoMA, New York, U.S.A. In 1966, he was awarded a prize for his work at the "Premio Lissone" exhibition in Italy. He received awards at the 6th, 7th, and 10th Contemporary Art Exhibitions of Japan, the 1983 Art and Culture Promotion Association Award, the Japan Art Grand Prize, and the Grand Prix at the Seoul International Print Exhibition; exhibited at the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France, 1986 "Japan in the Avant-Garde"; presented "Gutai" at the MOMA and Guggenheim Museum In 2013, attracting a great deal of attention both in Japan and abroad, and in 2015, a painting measuring less than one meter sold for nearly 100 million yen at Sotheby's.　Major Collections: The Museum of Modern Art New York, Dallas Museum of Art, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, The National Museum of Art (Osaka), The National Museum of Modern Art (Kyoto), Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art (Hyogo, Japan)

  • HUGO ALEGRE

    HUGO ALEGRE, a contemporary artist from Peru, known for his work in painting, sculpture, and installation art. His creations draw inspiration from Peru's rich cultural heritage and his personal experiences, characterized by a unique style that blends tradition and modernity. His works often feature vibrant colors, textures, and symbolism, frequently addressing environmental issues and social themes.

  • ANDO TADAO

    ANDO TADAO, Japanese architect, born in Osaka, self-taught in architecture. He is a first-class architect and special University Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo. He opened his own design studio in 1969. He has produced numerous works in Japan and abroad, including houses, churches, and hotels, mainly using concrete. Row House in Sumiyoshi (1976), Church of Light (1989), Benesse House Museum in Naoshima (1992), The Hundred Step Garden in Awaji (2000), Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest (2020), etc.

  • NASAKA SENKICHIRO

    NASAKA SENKICHIRO, Japanese painter born in Osaka, classmate of Shiraga Kazuo at the Kyoto Municipal School of Painting (now Kyoto City University of Arts) in 1942. In 1950, he was selected for the All Kansai Exhibition. He majored in Japanese- style painting but switched to Western-style painting in the 1960s. In 1965 exhibited at the 15th Gutai Art Exhibition, becoming a member of the Gutai Art Association. When he joined the Gutai, he produced paintings with a strong influence of the Unformel style, but gradually changed to a style that made full use of technology, including kinetic art, and became a representative artist of the late Gutai trend.

  • SUMI YASUO

    SUMI YASUO, Japanese abstract painter, born in Osaka. After graduating from university, he worked as an art instructor at several universities. In 1954, he became acquainted with YOSHIHARA JIRO, and later studied painting from him. In 1955, he joined the Gutai Art Association. Major collections: The National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Roma, Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka.